Kingdoms of Destruction
by angel-with-a-scythe
Summary: SasuxNaru AU. Sasuke is the prince, and Itachi's made king after the strange death of their parents. At a banquet, instead of finding a potential bride, Sasuke meets an intriguing young slave named Naruto... or did he find a potential bride afterall?
1. Chapter 1

Summary: (This is an Alternate Universe Fic, but with some of the same things in it.) Sasuke is the prince of the Uchiha Kingdom. His brother, Itachi, rules the kingdom, as their father and mother died mysteriously. Naruto is just a traveler and a sort of minstrel, if you will, but he is no ordinary traveler. You do the math, my friends. (SasukexNaruto yaoi)

Kingdoms of Destruction

Chapter 1-

The young Prince sat at his study table, his chin resting in the palm of his hand, and staring out the window at the pouring rain. He'd been in his study for a very long time, he couldn't even remember how many hours, and all the studying he'd done was... well... not very much to say the least. Taking in a deep breath, he shifted his chin to his other hand, and let the previous fall the table. It wasn't so bad, staring out the window. You could learn a lot of things from staring out the window too? Like... weather patterns, and water surface tension? Who was he kidding?

There was a click from behind him. He didn't bother looking; he already knew who it would be.

"My _dear_ brother..." Came Itachi's voice. "You've been in here all day, I think its time you come and mingle with our people."

"I guess." The young prince said monotonously, but he slammed his book closed gladly, feigning anger.

The older brother smirked to himself, watching him. He was always so angry, Sasuke was. Slamming books and doors closed, among other things. He was the typical description of a spoiled prince. Well, that's what Itachi wanted to say, and he would, if it wasn't a complete, utter lie.

Sasuke was the silent brother, that never gave way to what he was thinking, and Itachi didn't like that. If he thought too much, he may find things that he isn't supposed to find, and Itachi wasn't about to let that happen. His younger brother also liked to explore in the realm of Ninja-hood, which Itachi also didn't like. Not many people knew, but the older of the two was already a Ninja, and a very skilled one at that, and Sasuke was on his way to being a great ninja as well. But that isn't what scared him the most. The thing that scared him the most was his will. If he wanted to find something out, he would do it... unless of course, he got distracted, which is exactly what Itachi was here to do... Distract him. Besides, he was just trying to... uh... protect his little brother. Yes, protect.

Guiding Sasuke out of the study, he closed the door softly and hurried him along. "I have a surprise for you."

"Great..." The young prince said, very unenthusiastically, and crossed his arms. Last time Itachi said he'd had a surprise for him was a few years ago, when he was much different, and their parents were still alive. He'd led him out to the back of the castle and showed him dead cats and mice that had drown in a flood. So in other words, he didn't think he wanted to know.

But Itachi was having none of that, and shoved him towards his room. "Hurray and get dressed in something that is... fancy."

Fancy? His whole wardrobe was fancy, he thought, shutting the door. He's the Prince - the Prince of a very wealthy, very powerful land, no less. He sighed and began to take off his clothing sluggishly, calling for his servant to get him his best clothes. When the servant brought them back, she helped him dress and made sure he was perfect in every way, then sent him on his way.

Itachi seemingly appeared out of no where and wrapped his arm about his brother's shoulder, also done up in his best clothing. Sasuke was now beginning to get suspicious, but when two servants opened the ball room doors and he saw that a beautiful banquet lay out before him, his mouth nearly gaped. He quickly recovered and began to shove himself backwards.

He HATED banquets with a fiery passion of a thousand suns.

"What is the meaning of this?" The young prince hissed, trying his best not to be shoved into the room, but when everyone finally turned and saw them, he regained his composure and walked out forcefully.

"This, my little brother, is a banquet of course. You get to choose your bride here."

"Shouldn't you be worrying about yourself? You're the one that's supposed to be wed, here, not me."

"Hush, can I not dote upon you every once in a while?"

"No."

Before he could comment further, his subjects began to crowd around the platform that was the throne as the two scenes of beauty stood upon it, and all eyes were glued to them.

Presumably, this is where Itachi, the new King, was supposed to make a speech.

And he did.

"First, I would like to thank all of my fellow subjects for coming to this banquet. This means a great deal for my brother and I, as we hope to see a beautiful year grace our kingdom and land.

"Secondly, for those of you who do not know, this banquet will hopefully bring a beautiful bride to my only brother, and only other heir to this throne."

The crowd cheered at this, and Sasuke felt as if he was going to be sick. Why him? Why now? He sighed and looked to the side, something caught his eye, but within a second, it was lost within the crowd. He had this strange feeling in the pit of his stomach...

"And also, I must insist that, while my younger brother and I search for possible brides, you all gather to see the wonderful entertainment that has been lined up tonight. Everything from Taming of lions and wild animals, to tales and songs of bravery! Thank you all." Itachi waved a hand, and the crowd clapped and cheered respectfully. It was quite disgusting, how nice and sincere he had to be, but only for a while, for soon, his time would come to-

"Itachi!" Sasuke hissed, pulling him down by the collar when no one seemed to be looking. "How dare you do this behind my back? Who said I was ready for a bride?"

"Come on, we've got to start looking."

Itachi obviously wasn't looking. Sasuke groaned. Ok, fine. He'd play Itachi's little game, and then decline all of the women, and this would be all over.

As the night progressed and Sasuke finally let Itachi drag him into the crowds of people, he found himself actually having fun. It was a strange thing for the young prince, but he couldn't help it. Watching these women fumbled over themselves trying to look good just made him want to either glare or laugh out loud. It was just the most amusing thing, ever.

"Now these young ladies over here are mostly from other kingdoms. That one with the pink hair; her name is Sakura, and she's from the neighboring kingdom of the North. Rumor is her beauty surpasses her mothers and many of our own court ladies."

"Magnificent." Sasuke said sarcastically.

"My lords," she acknowledged, curtseying politely, as any royalty would.

Sasuke nodded kindly back, but said nothing. Itachi nudged him slightly, and the younger one nearly growled.

"Good evening." He said through clenched teeth, bowing his upper body just enough to be considered polite by royal to royal standards.

As she began to talk and speak of her own royalty and how she had been dying to meet him and what not, his mind wandered as well as his gaze. His eyes landed upon a large crowd gathered in front of... something. There was laughter and clapping of all the sorts. He could barely hear the music coming from behind the large crowd from all the way over here, but he found himself curious as to what was going on.

"Of course." He said, as if he'd been listening, which seemed to please her, as she kept going. Damn. He listened for the sounds that came from the crowd and whatever entertainment was in front of it. He found the music stopped and the people were chattering softly. Some were excited, some were tense, until the entire crowd gasped aloud and Sasuke found a reason to look away from the annoying girl and look to the crowd.

Clapping.

He now found himself very intrigued, and slowly began to walk towards the crowd. Itachi followed, as well as Sakura and her little friends. The crowd parted for them, naturally, and he was let to the front. He crossed his arms, waiting.

A young boy with the blondest blond hair he'd ever seen came forward on demand from his assumed master and held out his hand. In his hand was a cup of water, and if one looked closely, the water was beginning to swirl and swirl until it was swirling out of the cup, into his other hand, and then forming a ball. People began to clap, whispering of magic and such, but Sasuke knew it was a simple ninja trick, but in these days, there were not many ninjas out there.

After a time of thinking and pondering just what this meant, the supposed master when on a break, he guessed, and the young boy was ordered to tell 'the story'. The blond sighed softly and nodded, then smiled brightly, getting ready.

That smile... it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. Scratch that, the blonde was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life... the way he moved, the way he talked and smiled and made little gestures with his hands. The way his face brightened when someone would ask him simple questions. The young prince found his breath taken away when those sinfully azure eyes met with his own, and that smile that had been on his lips faded slowly. A small, pink tongue darted out to wet his dry lips and he looked away quickly, replacing upon his face a fake smile that seemed the same, but wasn't.

He began his story, and as soon as the first few words were said, Sasuke was hooked.

"Not long ago," the blonde started, "There was a peaceful village. All was as it should have been, and everyone knew everyone else, and respected each other. The people loved each other, and loved their leader. But one gloomy day, disaster struck this poor village." His face visibly darkened with the story. "The clouds were dark and heavy with rain and just as it began to pour, lightening struck and in the distance could be seen the Nine tailed fox demon!"

The crowd began to hastily talk in hushed voices. Some were filled with fear, some filled with wonder and curiosity. Many didn't know of this nine tailed fox demon, but many did know of it, and very well. Sasuke shifted a bit. He knew very well of this nine tailed fox, and what the outcome of this story would be, but still, the way the boy told it, it was almost as if he was there...

"The Kyuubi had the reddest, deepest eyes that pierced the very soul of the person they unfortunately fell upon. And if that gaze fell upon you, you ran for your life. When the nine tailed fox finds a victim, he does not let it get away." The story teller looked at Sasuke, narrowing his eyes slowly and getting up from his seat, smoothly stalking towards the prince, but as he got closer, it seemed that he was, in fact, not looking at him, but at someone next to him.

"With its immense fiery chakura, the demon stalked into the city, destroying everything in its path!" He waved his hand, making someone jump suddenly. He began to stalk down the edge of the crowd, getting farther and farther from the entranced Prince. "And the village was burning to the ground, with no hope left! But!" He spun around, waving his hand out slowly now. "The great leader of the village bravely came forward, and did what no one else could, or would do. He began to make signs with his hands, staring that great demon in the eyes, and sealed the Kyuubi into a small child. But with a price...

"The brave leader died with this seal, but hoped that, with his dying wish, the village would praise this small boy as the savior of many disasters that could have come... But it was not so. They shunned this boy. They saw him not as a savoir, but a wretched curse they now had to deal with, for he contained the nine tailed fox within himself. So the boy grew up lonely, with not a friend or anyone to look up after him. He stole for his food, caused trouble to be noticed, to be acknowledged, to feel alive..." The sadness that washed over the young one's face was heart wrenching, and some of the people in the crowd put a hand gently to their chest, sighing sadly with him.

"And then, one day, without a trace, he disappeared, shunned to the point of no return by the village, and he has not been seen since." He finished.

"What? What happened to him?" Someone asked.

"No one knows..." He said softly, though hesitating before so, as if he really knew.

"And now," The man that had been behind him before, the assumed master, began. "My young one here needs a rest."

With disapproval and disappointment, the crowd began to disperse, but Sasuke lingered and kept his eyes on the disappearing back, though Itachi urged him to come away, tugging on his arm. He just shrugged out of his grip.

"What is his name?" Sasuke asked. Perhaps the first sentence he'd said since they'd started looking for potential brides.

"Well, I am Korayo Nanu, and if you would like to-"

"I did not ask for your name, I asked for his." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Um..." He cleared his throat. "Yes, h-his name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Naruto..." Sasuke said, letting the name slip from his lips, tasting it. He did not quite know why he was so intrigued by this Naruto. With that, he slipped away, deep in thought, and his older brother was beginning to wonder...

"Why do you ask the peasant boy's name? You do not think you are going to speak with him do you?" But he got no answer. He growled, wrenching his younger brother around to face him, his eyes meeting with shocked black ones.

This was the first bit of hostility he'd experienced from his older brother in a long time.

"You are trying my patience, Sasuke, this banquet is almost at an end and you need a bride."

"I don't want any of them. Why don't you choose one for_ yourself_ if you're so insistent?" The raven haired prince snapped back in a hushed hiss.

For a long while they glared at each other, until finally, they both looked away at the same time with a sigh and crossed arms.

The banquet ended unsuccessfully, but Sasuke still found himself thinking of that boy, Naruto. He still couldn't understand why he thought that boy was so... beautiful. Was, he, in fact, gay? Of course not, Sasuke thought with a scoff, pulling off his expensive garments. Royalty aren't like that... He just, wanted him to tell that story again... and perhaps another time... he was quite the entertainer apparently, and he somehow knew some ninja techniques, which was quite strange. But either way, he was curious about him, and he knew one thing was for sure: he wanted to see him again.

A/N: So? What did you all think about this new story that I pulled out of my ass? Good? I should hope so. The next chapter will have more about Naruto and such. He is the main character, technically. ;;; Review please, it's my fuel.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Um... just read it and you'll find out? Lol The last chapter was more like a prologue... but... whatever, no one cares.

Warnings: AU. Rape, abuse. (Sasuke x Naruto yaoi, possibly some one sided Itachi x Sasuke incest, may slip in some Neiji x Naruto as well. It's a surprise as to how)

Kingdoms of Destruction

Chapter 2-

"Where is he!" Someone shouted loudly as a few crashes were heard. "Where did he go? Bring him to me immediately!" More crashes and thumps, and frantically, people began to scurry around, looking for 'him'.

Korayo Nanu stormed through the shack that was doubling as a slave trade outpost. It was only temporary, since their original building was going through renovations to make it rather extravagant, inside and out. Korayo and his family had been in the salve industry for a very long time, and since he found Naruto, his business had boomed.

Naruto was his main attraction. He was beautiful and foreign, posing a mysterious side that everyone wanted to explore, and he was also very god at entertaining, and word was he was fabulous at giving blowjobs, not that Korayo hadn't already experienced that piece of heaven... But all that aside, many had offered to buy Naruto, for hefty prices that were absolutely unheard of, and at first, he had sold him, only to have him sent back not long after for disobedience and trickery and otherwise bad behaviors.

After only a few times of being sent back, the slave trader decided he would 'rent' Naruto out, instead of letting people own him. It was much more profitable to him, and they didn't have to keep him and experience his much more... untamable side.

Now of course, Naruto hated this, and Korayo knew this very well. But the truth is, Naruto had no say in his life. When Korayo had found Naruto that one day, wandering about the city telling stories and jesting and singing, a traveling minstrel if you will, he had instantly been struck with wonder. He found that many others were struck with the same when they laid eyes upon this beautiful creature. Korayo was so captivated by him, he kidnapped him and forced him into slavery... Naruto was just 14 when Korayo found him, and now, he was about 16, growing into a deliciously desirable work of art crafted from careful work of never touching that godly face.

If anyone touched that face, it was Korayo. Only those with special permission were even allowed to caress it.

Naruto had never been hit on the face in his life, and Korayo wanted to keep it that way, but when he saw that innocent look when he found him, he wanted to wipe it off his face. He back handed him without a second thought, and sent Naruto to the floor.

Korayo, instantly regretting it, looked at his hand, then to the young boy on the ground. He swallowed hard, but kept his ground. "You! You made me embarrass myself in front of the prince!"

"But... I didn't- "

"Silence! I gave you no such permission to speak!"

Naruto slowly got to his feet, holding his already swelling cheek and looking up at him, confused. Korayo clenched his fists tightly, looking at that face...

It was so innocent and those eyes were filled with such emotion... It pained him now to see that he had caused such sadness, but he had to remain strong. Slaves didn't develop obedience with kind masters, now did they?

"I received comments about your stunning performance last night, and one of those comments was simply the prince asking for your name. Your name, Uzumaki Naruto! You know very well that you are supposed to mention my name at the end of all of your performances!"

"But you dismissed me before I could!" The blonde haired, blue eyed boy said boldly, taking his hand away from his face now, in a gesture of anger. The slave master saw the dark bruise already beginning to form. Well that's great, just great. Now, if the Prince was interested in him, he wouldn't be any longer...

Unless, of course, they cover the mark with make up until the deal is sealed...

...but that was asking too much. A deal wasn't even set in stone yet. Hopefully, though, there would be one, especially if it was from the Prince. Although, if the Prince wanted to buy Naruto, that was a problem. 'I'm not sure if I can let this one go... he has brought me much fortune... and very much pleasure.' He thought to himself.

He looked the young boy up and down, smirking slightly and then shut the door behind him, locking it. "Come here, Naruto. Come be grateful for your master as you get down on your knees..."

Naruto took a step back, his resolve now disintegrated as the words he hated the most slipped from those lips. "No, please, I didn't... I didn't mean to..."

"Now, Naruto, don't make me angry."

The blonde swallowed, his breath speeding up as fear began to override his senses. The intense emotion washed over him like a powerful tidal wave, sweeping through and destroying and courage he had left. He knew if he didn't do this, he'd be beaten, but he didn't want to do this!

"_Now_!" His master hissed. He finally managed to come forward, his blue eyes betraying his fear. He was forced to his knees in front of his master, and as those fingers deftly undid the ties and zips to his pants, a full erection sprung forward in front of him, and Naruto tried not to turn away in disgust. He looked up at Korayo, desperately trying to get him to somehow change his mind, but to no avail. He felt a hand on the back of his head and he swallowed hard, parting his lips slightly, whimpering pathetically.

He looked up at him one more time, pleading with his eyes, but that plead was mistaken for arousal, and he closed his eyes tightly when his master began to rub himself against his face. He shuddered in disgust. How many nights had he spent at this man's mercy? Too many, and he hated it. He hated everyone that wanted to buy him, everyone that wanted his mouth around them, everyone that looked at him and undressed him with their eyes, and everyone that just stood by and watched as he was tortured... just like at the village.

It was no different now, and it never would be, would it?

Sighing deeply, the young Prince looked out at the pouring rain once again. It had been raining for two days straight. Perhaps this was some sort of foreshadowing into his life? No, things like that never happened.

He stood, walking along the edge of the window now, and placing his fingertips on the cool glass. As he looked out into the town from his bedroom, he saw the streets were all but deserted. This morning was gloomy and he honestly didn't want to deal with anything today. Especially not his brother...

They'd gotten into a rather large fight last night, and it ended with Sasuke feeling a fear he'd never felt in his life as his brother pinned him to the ground and held him there, whispering, no hissing his words into the young prince's ear. It made him shiver to think of it. But after all that happened, Itachi had apologized and helped him stand, guiding him back to his room.

He shook his head, bringing himself back out of his thoughts. He slid back, away from the window and pulled on a silk robe, stepping out of his room and beginning to walk down the private halls to the bathing area. He rubbed his temples gently, requesting a servant with a snap. It was sickening how quickly they came to do your bidding, but maybe that was because Itachi had threatened them all with death and death of their loved ones if they didn't comply?

He shed his clothing as he got closer to the large round hole that was in the middle of the room, filled with steaming water. The servant quickly folded his clothes neatly, then pulled out the soaps and set them to the side of the bathing pool, ready for use when called for.

As he slipped into the warm water, he sighed in bliss, his tense muscles already starting to relax. He sent his servant away to wait for his call, and he moaned, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling.

Eventually, he closed his eyes, letting the heat lull him into a sort of state between consciousness and the dream world. He didn't even hear the other person join him in the water until there were hands on his chest...

...hands on his chest?

His eyes shot open and he quickly grabbed at the hands that were fondling him. He looked up to find a pair of eyes that matched his own staring straight back at him.

"Itachi... don't sneak up on me like that..." He growled softly.

A smirk was all he received as acknowledgement before the other was straddling him and pinning him against the side of the tub. Sasuke's eyes got impossibly wide as Itachi began to lean closer. Was this some sort of dream? Had he been in here too long and he was seeing things?

Just as their lips began to touch, Sasuke was jolted awake. He blinked furiously at the hazy image in front of him. The servant was gently shaking him.

"Itachi-sama has requested your presence in an hour."

Sasuke sighed and sat up straighter, stretched and then nodded. "Fine. Wash me."

When Naruto awoke the next morning, he was pleased to find that he was still in one piece, and nothing hurt. Well, except his face if one touched it. Stretching, he was even more pleased to find he was still dressed. He couldn't remember all of what happened last night after that little bit of anger that was expressed to him, but by the look and feel, nothing horrible happened.

He stood and stretched, taking a deep breath of that fresh morning air. He rubbed behind his head and the back of his neck, looking out of the rickety old window to see that is was still raining gloomily. He grumbled softly, adjusting his clothes and then peeking out of the room, then dodging down the hall way into his master's room, where his clothing was kept. He peeled his dirty night clothes off, and pulled on fresh garments. He sighed happily. Clean clothes always made him feel better.

He sat down on the bed for a while, letting himself rest. As he peered around the room, he saw that, of course, this was the best room in this stupid shack. There were a series of shacks, actually, considering the number of slaves that needed to be sold. He was lucky to be in this one, as rickety and old as it was, but once the renovations were done, he'd have his own room again, and he'd be happy just for that, even if it was more along the lines of his demise. But he wasn't thinking about that. He didn't realize that that room was, in fact, a place where he was going to be ravished over and over again by strangers and clients alike. All Korayo had said was that he was going to get his own room.

Moving on, he stood once again and took a deep breath. Today was going to be a long day of hard work and pleasing, hopefully none of the sexual kind.

On his way out, he ran into his master, and stood his ground, tense. Korayo just smirked a bit and shoved him forward. "You know what to get. It's all on the list there. And come here for a second."

Naruto should have been afraid, but something kept him from being so. His master pulled something from his pocket and a rag, and dumped some of that _something_ onto it, then smeared it on Naruto's face. He flinched at first, the rag making his bruise ache with every contact.

"Good boy." Korayo said, as if he were some sort of dog. "Now go."

"Yes, sir," he mumbled, holding back a contempt filled growl, and then headed out into the rain.

It seemed to be clearing up.

As Sasuke sat in Itachi's bedroom, he couldn't help but think of that strange dream he'd had. He didn't know what it meant, but he didn't like it. So when Itachi came in and touched his shoulder, he jumped slightly, and then shoved his hand away and glared.

"What do you want?"

"Well, I wanted to discuss the new plans for your next bridal banquet."

"Itachi! Give it a rest, you should be looking for your own bride not mine. I'm sick and tired of you trying to control my life. I'm fine, and I can take care of myself."

This didn't seem to go over well with his older brother.

"Sasuke, I don't think you understand what I'm doing for you, and what I've gone through to get it! You have no idea how angry some of the neighboring kingdoms were when they heard about your lack of participation!"

"It's not my fault they're all stupid women that just want money."

"That's not true, Sasuke."

"Oh, it isn't? What was that pink haired girl talking about again, Sakura was it? Money and how royal she was. I hated them, I hated them ALL, brother!" Sasuke yelled, startling Itachi for a moment, but it was erased from his face as quickly as it came.

"Well maybe if you hadn't been so busy staring at the BOYS there, you may have realized that some of them were very intelligent,"

Those words made Sasuke take a step back in shock. He'd been staring at boys? Come to think of it, he had been, but that was because he was looking at... competition?

"Are you implying something, big brother?" He said slowly through clenched teeth.

"Maybe I am." Itachi retorted simply with a smirk, crossing his arms.

"I am not gay, Itachi."

For two men of few words, they both had to admit, when they were angry, they did say what was on their mind, which wasn't a bad thing initially, but it could develop into something like this: A rift between them. They had been close when they were children, and Sasuke had looked up to him with all his being, but as Itachi grew older, he'd gotten more power hungry. Thus, with time, he pushed all that were close to him away, in order to obtain what one needs, one needs to be free of all baggage.

They stared at each other for a long while, Itachi knowingly, and Sasuke defensively. "Whether you like it or not, my dear brother, we are having another one."

Sasuke pursed his lips together in a thin like, eyes darting away to somewhere, anywhere but Itachi. He took in the sharp corners of the room that were lessened with plants and other sorts of things like furniture. The crimson, gold lined walls were rather beautiful, and somehow seemed to fit Itachi, although he couldn't place a reason why, and the large bed that branched out from the center of one of the walls was plain at first glance, but if one looked hard enough, they could see the underlying beauty. The sheets on the bed were a black silk with red swirls and blotches, as if the fabric had been spun around in red inks... it probably had been.

Finally, he looked back to Itachi. "Fine. When?"

Itachi forced a smile. "In a few days. I've already sent out invitations..."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Can I go now?"

Without waiting for the answer, he left.

He stormed down the hall and down the forest green carpeted stairs, grabbing his cloak and pulling it over himself. Continuing down the long corridor, he looked about quickly before slipping out of the castle through a camouflaged door. He pulled the cloak hood over his head and let his face be consumed by shadow.

The rain was beginning to clear, barely a drizzle now. The sun was trying to force it's way past the thick clouds that were only just now beginning to thin and die away.

If there was one thing Sasuke loved to do, it was mingle with his people without them knowing he was mingling.

The blonde haired blue eyed slave boy slunk around, buying this and that from the market place. He got some squid for himself with his own money that he'd saved up for himself and hid from Korayo, shoving it into his mouth and chomping on it happily. This wasn't so bad, shopping for his master. Although, at this rate, he would need help bringing everything home...

"He probably purposefully made this list long so he could watch me struggle as I come in the door. Hmph."

He already had a bag full of stuff, and he still had more than half the list to go. He sighed again, for what seemed to be the millionth time that evening. The only upside to this whole event was that one, it stopped raining, and two he was out among regular people. It made him feel as if he were the same as anyone else... even if it was jut for this small amount of time...

He picked up some apples and paid for them, putting them into his bag. He was extremely happy when the market man gave him a discount an account of him being so nice and bowing politely and things, even with such a huge bag in his hands. He waved as he left, taking a few steps back as he went...

...only to bump into someone by accident. He quickly turned and apologized, looking up after a bow or two, but when he was getting no response, he looked about nervously. "Ano..." he started, biting his lip. This wasn't something that was going to get back to his master, was it?

He tried to peer at the man's face, but it was covered in shadow by a hooded cloak. His panic quickly turned into a frown and he put one hand on his hips. "Excuse me, I need to get by. I'm sorry I knocked into you, but if I don't get back to my master-"

"You're Uzumaki Naruto..." The cool voice drifted to him as if a breeze had wafted in an icy chill. It crept down Naruto's back slowly and he swallowed against it.

"Uh..."

Sasuke peered at the boy that was slightly shorter than he. He was so... breathtakingly beautiful as he stood before him, even with a bag tucked under his arm full of... stuff. Looking at him now, he could see the uneasiness that was washing over the presumably younger teen. He reached forward out of impulse, grabbing his chin gently and tilting his head from side to side, examining his flawless face. Well, it _was_ flawless. There was a dark, sickening bruise that was now on the side of his face, poorly covered by makeup. He couldn't tell how big it was from how much of it was showing, but what he could see was larger than the size of a small child's hand.

The blonde flinched as the disguised prince touched his bruise, pulling away from his hand. He glared now, and wrenched from his grip completely, shoving him aside, and marching down the road.

Sasuke watched him go, still quite shocked with all that he had seen. Not only had he managed to run into the boy that had so gripped his attention last night, but he'd learned he had a bruise on his heavenly face. And he was almost certain that that bruise was not there the night before. Oh yes, he remembered that face clearly from last night. The one that held so much emotion, it was almost frightening.

Before these facts really registered in his mind, the boy was already gone, and he hadn't even had the chance to see which way he went. He wanted to see him again, no matter the cost. It was something he felt he had to do, and his instincts were usually correct. He thought for a moment as he began to walk again, pondering just how he was going to get to this blue eyed blonde that had captivated him so.

Then, the idea struck him.

The banquet.

He quickly turned and started to run back home, eager to get his plan started.

A/N: Hm... This chapter was longer than my usual ones. O.o You all are very lucky I've taken such an interest in this. I started writing the second chapter right away. Hope I get enough back to keep it going. ) Oh yeah. Many people are WONDERING WHY ITACHI ISN'T THE ONE GETTING MARRIED; yes I did caps on purpose. Well I'll tell you why. I'm a LOSER I guess, 'cause I tried to explain this in the first chapter, Itachi is trying to keep Sasuke busy with something or someone so that SOMETHING won't be figured out by Sasuke, but there's more on that later in the next chapter. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

Scythe: Very long time since I've updated, no? I think I'm going on an updating spree.. I just, randomly got back into fics again, sooo I hope you like this short but sweet chapter in the Kingdoms of Destruction chronicles of DOOM... no.. just KOD -.-;; I am pathetic, I know. Thanks for sticking by through and through!

Pairings/Warnings: Sasu/Naru, slight one-sided Ita/Sasu get over it. Ummm this chapter is... random... maybe a bit weird, but it all has a purpose, trust me?

Thanks: To all my reviewers for inspiring me once again.

Chapter 3

"Another banquet?"

"Why yes, in fact I heard that lord Sasuke was very displeased with his choices at the previous one, that he has ordered for another with all sorts of new choices, and even non-royalty is being considered!"

"But only if they have some sort of status, right?"

Gosip.

"Of course. I also heard that the famous slave trader Korayo is going to be there having special sales!"

"That is so distasteful, darling."

"No, hear me out. He not only sells women and hard workers, he sells men as well for us poor, lonely women." A laugh erupted from them all.

"Well then, perhaps we should take the time to see him about those offers, hmm?"

"Indeed. But we mustn't let our husbands know." More giggles.

Nameless, faceless bodies blending into the crowds of so many other nameless, faceless things. All the same, the last breath to breathed tomorrow. Everything has a purpose, and every meeting a meaning, so what to think when you only know what you're told? For now the light, but later the darkness, so keep your own and never fold. The pressures of society and habitual mannerisms of acceptance twisting within you and making you writhe with pain. One cannot be themselves when all they are told is to fit in and do as told. Such actions cannot be pinned, but only peered upon by the nameless, faceless bodies that blend into the crowds of so many other nameless, faceless things. But there is always a beacon of life, a difference in the normal flow of water, branching off to make its own, and shunned as it is, it often becomes the strongest and most prosperous river to grace the land. And then they regret shunning him because he has become much more than they could ever have hoped. Those nameless, faceless bodies that blend into those crowds of other nameless, faceless, things finally see, and finally gain their features...

Sasuke stared intently out of the window of his room, shedding his robes slowly in thought. Yes, another banquet in three days would suffice indeed, for he knew that Korayo would be expecting something from him for that boy, Naruto. Naruto... just the thought of him sent his mind in a whirl of unanswered questions about himself and the boy. He still didn't quite understand his feelings for the young blonde haired entertainer, but he knew he wanted to see him again and find out exactly what it was that intrigued him so much. Indeed he was a fantastic sight to look at, but last time Sasuke checked he didn't exactly swing that way. Well, he thought, there's only one way to find out.

"I have to meet him again." He said to himself, running a hand through his hair. Finally moving away from the window, he stepped to the mirror and looked himself up and down. He would visit his brother and request a trip to the slave trader's home for a trial with the golden haired story-teller.

Plucking his elaborate coat from the just as elaborate hanger, he threw it over his shoulders and stalked down the halls towards his brother's room. The corridors seemed to reach on forever and he silently cursed the builder of this place for that reason alone. Everything was long and drawn out, and he found himself tiring of this life quickly.

In his room, Itachi spoke in hushed voices with a bulky, dark man, his face sullen and concentrated. "Advance immediately, I will not be seen as weak. I cannot allow this country of mine to be such a carefree place any longer." He stood. "We hold the power, Buku, but who is to say we shall hold it much longer with these neighboring countries constantly building around us, and we standing still? No more, and by an advance we end the opposing force, for our army is the greatest in the land, and we will never bow to anyone."

"Yes sir..." The man said obediently, and nothing more came from him.

"I do not care about the people here, Buku. As my most trusted advisor and the commander in chief of our army, you know just as well as I do that a people can not live under a ruler unless there is constant fear, but constant assured protection. The people here are dumb and easily controlled, but my brother will not accept this, and he shall not know for as long as we can withhold information from him. He will only get in the way, and if that does happen, Buku, we must kill him. I expect you to follow my every order, my dear commander in chief, and if you do not..." Itachi turned, fixing him with the most feared gaze in all his life. The commander had to look away immediately from those strange, Uchiha eyes, and nod quickly. "Good..."

A knock upon the door came quietly; came tenderly and patiently, and Itachi shot his gaze to the door and then dismissed Buku. The commander stood, bowed, and then moved to the door, Itachi turning to look out the window, his hands clasped behind him thoughtfully as he watched the land unfold before his eyes.

As the warrior left, the smaller prince came in and looked upon the retreating back of the commander with interest and confusion... but brushing that aside, he gently shut the door and came to his brother.

"Brother, I wish to speak to you."

"What about, my troublesome prince?" Itachi replied, turning, and sitting upon the window sill to gaze upon him as a hawk gazes upon its prey. But unfazed was his smaller half as he stepped forward, holding the stature of a king and the eyes of a great ruler... Itachi had always hated that about his younger sibling. His resolve soon melted from pleasant to irritated.

"It's... sort of about the banquet, but more so about something I've come to have great interest in."

The soft voice nearly startled the older man, and he had to force himself to smile and listen, waiting for more, but it never came. "Alright. What is it that has captivated you so?"

"Well, it is not so much a 'what' but a... 'who,' I guess. Well, it's the entertaining business." To this, Itachi raised a brow. "I found that entertainer at the banquet very fascinating, and I was wondering if, perhaps, I could buy him?" He knew how to smooth talk his brother, using a precise way of saying something so that he would think it simply to be curiosity.

Missing it completely, though, was Itachi as he thought only of this being another small step in the distraction process. For a while, though, he said nothing, just thinking of all the possibilities that could come of this.

"Itachi?"

Stirring from his thoughts, he looked upon his younger brother and forced a slight smile. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"Then let's leave right away."

"Come, we mustn't be too hasty..."

"No, indeed we must, my brother. I have heard from others that he is quite popular amongst customers. I am afraid if we do not get there in time, I will not get my prize."

Spoken like a true royal brat, Itachi thought with a smirk. He stood and waved him off. "Fine. Just let me get my things."

Peering up through pure azure eyes at the window, Naruto lay in his cold room, watching the drizzle of rain slowly fall. The rain seemed to come from no where nowadays, but he didn't mind so much as long as he wasn't in it. But if it was as dark, his mind would be sent into frenzy as memories of the nine tailed fox haunted him. Often times, his master would find him in the corner, clutching his head and whimpering or shaking, and when he reached out to touch him, he would snarl and swat at his hand, his eyes no longer pure, his face no longer soft- it was quite contorted in fact.

But today was a nice day, it was bright and the rain was just a sprinkle that tickled his nose when he was out in it. He took a deep breath and rolled over onto his back, pulling his blankets closer. He could see his breath raising into the air away from him, and then dissipating amongst the moisture, and this amused him for a while until he heard some shuffling from the other room. Just turning his head, he looked at the door, which was cracked slightly, and saw two cloaked figures talking to his master. The blond haired beauty looked back up at the ceiling and continued to watch his breath slowly float away. He wished at that moment that he could be like the air, floating away and just disappearing- free to do whatever it wanted...

He had dreams at night about just flying away like a bird, even though he had no wings. He would jump so high off of a tree branch that he could see clear over the tops of the green foliage and it filled him with such joy! Even now, it seemed to warm him deeply, a smile gracing his face. That smile soon faded as the lewd voice of his master penetrated his bubble of dreams, but what made him look towards the door was not simply the voice, but the way his owner was stumbling with his words and trying to be kind-very unlike him.

Grabbing his blanket and securing it around his shoulders, his hand holding it together at the middle of his chest, he crawled quietly to the door and peaked out... but there was no one-His owner, nor the two people he had seen earlier, were there. Sitting back for just a moment he thought to himself, and when he looked back through the door, there was nothing, no light, no table, nothing... The door opened slowly inward and he looked up just a slowly, slightly frightened, but what he saw made his heart skip a beat.

The prince was in front of him._Both_ of them were in front of him. He shuffled back as quickly as he could into the farther corner and clutched onto his blanket harder. Itachi stared down at him, the first to enter the room, and the one who had opened the door. The owner was last to enter the room out of respect for the royalty who had come to buy from him, and what an excited man they had made him. He smirked at Naruto and the blonde instantly knew that this would be trouble.

"Is this the one, Sasuke?" Itachi suddenly said, making Naruto jump slightly.

"Yes." At this, Naruto's eyes met with the princes and locked there for a long while. Both were so captivated by each other that, in that moment, neither heard the owner speak of the trial session, nor the price. Finally, Naruto broke the eye contact and looked away, ashamed and fearful. Sasuke did not understand this, his gaze lingering for just a moment longer before he looked up to his brother and the owner.

"That price is absurd, Korayo- for only a trial price?" Itachi was getting upset, and his brother knew what that would mean.

"And if I decided to buy him?" Sasuke asked quickly. The attention of the owner shifted to him.

"He is not for sale to keep."

"Surely you would make an exemption, Korayo. You know as well as we that we could take him by force, or shut you down completely if that is what you wish." Sasuke said, narrowing his eyes slowly.

"O...o...of course," the owner sputtered, suddenly extremely nervous. "Pardon my insipid mannerisms, I-I let my business take priority over my respect for my princes- terribly sorry. It shall never happen again."

It was kind of amusing to see his master like this, Naruto noted, smiling slightly at the fact, but again his smile faded when he thought of just who he would be going with this time.

Scythe: Well... what did you think? I know it took my like... a year, I'm really sorry about that. I lost interest in fanfics all together along with my studies, so... yeah... But its here now! I hope you liked it.


	4. Chapter 4 NOTE TO EVERYONE

Scythe:

I'm SORRY, people. This is my most loved fic (aside from the OSAS series) and I haven't even updated it! D:

But...

I'm proud to say that an update shall be arriving soon. I have engaged in the college world (for nearly two years now... lawl) and hopefully things aren't rotting away in terms of my fanfiction abilities... but I guess you shall all find out once the next chappie is up. My plan... my hope... is that Chapter 4 (which I found stored on my removable drive!) will be up sometime this week.

HOWEVER, I shall warn you of this: I have 3 (seemingly a million) tests this week.. and of course, they come first.. so hopefully the stress shall not drive me to forget this... again. If you so desire... you may pester me on AIM: artimuslover yeah yeah, complain.

Also wanted to let you all know: I was hospitalized this weekend... ahahah... xx FTW my life sucks. But ya know, things happen. Don't ask what happened... I'm really done talking about it. XD

Anywho... Be satisfied with this PREVIEW! Of Ch 4... yes.. it is going to be short.. dur.

Preview Of KOD Ch 4:

(Be satisfied for sec, damn it.)

Before he could even blink, he was in the carriage being taken away to the castle... he did not want this... he didn't want to be anyone's pet... Damn princes; using their royalty to pull him from the 'no sale' rule. This was not very exciting. Although, Naruto pondered, he probably didn't have to worry since every other master he had had just sent him back right away. That's how they all felt; captivated at first, completely taken with him until they brought him home, abused him and tried to make him a slave. Well, he kind of _was_ a slave... Ok so technically, legally, and on documents, he was indeed a slave, but _never_ in his heart or spirit.

Never.

The entire way back to the castle, he stared out the window of the carriage at the dim setting of life, depressed and contemplating what all he could do to escape this horrid fate. It was one thing after another with him... Misfortune was his only friend, and it sure liked to help him out a lot.

He sighed softly. He _really_ wanted to escape this time without being caught, but how in the world was that possible when he was just drafted by the princes? The entire guard would be out for him if he escaped. That is, if the prince really cared that much.

He tried to stay optimistic. Who knows? Maybe the prince was one of those "good Samaritans" and would just... let him go free or something?

Psh. Such is the essence of fairy tales, not real life.

What a pity... this wouldn't be his whole life, right?

When they reached the castle, he couldn't help but feel relieved, yet tense at the same time. He didn't know what was expected of him, but he had a feeling he would be finding out very soon. From past experience... it would start with his owner trying to be nice to him, and when he didn't obey, he would be forced to do things he didn't want to. And then, Naruto smirked inwardly, he would be free, for he would soon unleash his hellish tactics on his owner and flee! Or be sent back... either one was probably better than living under a princes rule.


	5. Chapter 5 The real Chapter 4

Scythe: 1st note- Uh... so this was sitting in my computer for liek.. a million years, as you all know.. I thought i posted it.. but i didn't. I really apologize. So here's the deal.. i haven't read over it at all... so if there are buco mistakes, sorry, get over it. I'll read over it eventually. I'm also working on a Jak and Daxter fic that you should all check out if you're interested. ;D

2nd note- IMPORTANT---- Alright, people, let me clear something up. I refer to Itachi and Sasuke as the princes because they are brothers and they ARE princes. At the moment, Itachi is not yet king, since the church has not crowned him as such- the ceremony, as you will learn, is but a few days after the next banquet... but because their parents are dead, Itachi, being eldest, is in control.

Warnings- Sasu/Naru, one sided Ita/Sasu boo hoo. Yay for drama and psychological damage. Broken Naruto... (Out of character a bit, if that explains that...) This chapter is... chapter like...

Thanks- mmm... no one really (aside from my reviewers/slightly obsessed fans ._.), as terrible as that sounds.

Long awaited Chapter TEN MILLION... just kidding...

**Chapter 4**

Before he could even blink, he was in the carriage being taken away to the castle... he did not want this... he didn't want to be anyone's pet... Damn princes; using their royalty to pull him from the 'no sale' rule. This was not very exciting. Although, Naruto pondered, he probably didn't have to worry since every other master he had had just sent him back right away. That's how they all felt; captivated at first, completely taken with him until they brought him home, abused him and tried to make him a slave. Well, he kind of _was_ a slave... Ok so technically, legally, and on documents, he was indeed a slave, but _never_ in his heart or spirit.

Never.

The entire way back to the castle, he stared out the window of the carriage at the dim setting of life, depressed and contemplating what all he could do to escape this horrid fate. It was one thing after another with him... Misfortune was his only friend, and it sure liked to help him out a lot.

He sighed softly. He _really_ wanted to escape this time without being caught, but how in the world was that possible when he was just drafted by the princes? The entire guard would be out for him if he escaped. That is, if the prince really cared that much.

He tried to stay optimistic. Who knows? Maybe the prince was one of those "good Samaritans" and would just... let him go free or something?

Psh. Such is the essence of fairy tales, not real life.

What a pity... this wouldn't be his whole life, right?

When they reached the castle, he couldn't help but feel relieved, yet tense at the same time. He didn't know what was expected of him, but he had a feeling he would be finding out very soon. From past experience... it would start with his owner trying to be nice to him, and when he didn't obey, he would be forced to do things he didn't want to. And then, Naruto smirked inwardly, he would be free, for he would soon unleash his hellish tactics on his owner and flee! Or be sent back... either one was probably better than living under a princes rule.

Sudden fear enveloped Naruto as he realized he was finally at the palace and he shrunk into the corner. Not able to quite place a finger on the reason why, he just took the best, logical guess and assumed it was because he knew the actions in which he was going to have to perform when he finally got into said palace, and though it was Sasuke that seemed to be his master, he still knew nothing about him but his appearance. Taking an educated guess, he'd have to assume that, since he is a prince, he would be much more forceful once they had actually gone into the confines of the prison known as the palace.

He swallowed hard, reaching for the door to his left so that, perhaps he could escape, but it was foolish to think that way. The door was somehow locked and Sasuke looked into the carriage once he realized his new entertainer was not coming.

The fear that radiated from those beautiful azure eyes struck a deep cord of sympathy within the youngest Uchiha sibling. He imagined how it must have felt to be the small blonde at this moment in time- having been passed from one master to the next, and having been used for things he could only painfully imagine at this point in time. He offered a small, kind smile and reached his own, gloved hand out to him, palm upturned.

"Come."

Sasuke hardly expected the poor boy to come to him, especially after the stories he'd heard from Korayo and other gossip around the town.

Naruto- shy and fearful, but once he was in the grasp of the new master, he was wild, untamed, defiant and disobedient. Korayo, upon request, had regrettably told them all of the stories about how Naruto had driven owners to angry tears, and how they'd thrown the blonde back at his feet, drenched in the rain, having bounded all the way over themselves just to shove him away and express their distaste for his slaves. Thus, Korayo had instead sold Naruto like a common whore, no longer selling him for keeps-until now.

When Sasuke was about to call for someone to take him away, a warm, light hand gently settled in his and he looked back into the carriage to see Naruto, eyes downcast, gently gripping his hand and stepping out from the coach. He smirked in satisfaction and pulled him under the cover of an umbrella held by a servant.

The blonde felt instantaneously guilty seeing that the servant was getting drenched while holding the umbrella above them. He opened his mouth to protest, but they were already up the steps and into the great hall of the palace. His mouth gaped slightly as he looked up and around, gazing at gargoyles and symbols only the royals could understand- the red carpets and the dazzling gold statuettes and sculptures, and gifts from other countries and kingdoms and places. It was all too much to take in at once and when he looked down again, they were alone.

Sasuke guided him along, into another, smaller room in which he handed him off to be bathed and cleaned and properly fitted for attire. When Sasuke began to leave, Naruto began to panic and thrash, breaking free from the others and he made a run for the door.

Reached his ears the commotion did, causing the prince to whirl around and see such a lovely sight before him. Naruto had been again retained and had such a fierce look in his eyes of determination that the younger prince was breath taken. A shiver ran through his body, goose bumps rising on his skin as he just watched, amused and fascinated. Unfortunately, his small show ended rather hastily when Itachi suddenly seized the small entertainer, but against his instincts, Naruto struggled to free himself from the suspiciously strong grip of the soon-to-be King of Aireon. In a moment, the blonde stopped and stay tense within the grasp of the older man as Itachi whispered something into his ear. Sasuke's brow furrowed in suspicion and confusion as his brother shoved the smaller boy away.

The slave fell to his knees and held his throat gently, wincing. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. How _dare_ Itachi hurt him like that? The obsidian haired prince stormed forward and shot a deathly glare at his older brother.

"Do not touch him without my permission, Itachi. You may own all of this land and its entire people, but Naruto is mine, and mine alone, or will be in a few days time. Control yourself."

"Control your _slave_, Brother. Do not just act as a spectator as if disorder in my kingdom is some sort of play. If you cannot control him, we will send him back, which I suspect we will be doing in no time, considering all of those lovely stories we heard." Fuel the fire.

Without another word, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, Itachi taking his leave, and shoved him back into the grasp of the attendants. "Take him to be cleaned. And if you cause any more trouble than you're worth, Uzumaki, it is the torture chambers for you." So it was a bluff, so what? He could never actually send such a beautiful thing to be tortured.

What was he thinking? He could not be so _soft_ over a slave boy entertainer! Beautiful? Indeed, but that was no reason to dote upon him, was it? Never. He was a common whore that should not even get the privileges being bestowed upon him at this moment. At least, that was what his years of being brought up as royalty said.

~8~

After the incident with Itachi, Naruto had been strangely calm, but still had not said a word to his new trial owner, and this bothered him. The whole point of getting Naruto was to get to know him and find out exactly what it was that made the blonde plague his mind and dreams, and if he could get over this odd attraction for him. He was sure it was just lust- it had happened before. The young prince had a rather horrid hobby of making people fall in love with him, and then breaking their poor, frail hearts beyond the point of necessity, but for some reason he found a strange sense of pleasure in doing such. He enjoyed it most when he knew the victim was in it for money and fame. Twisted as it was, it was what he somehow taught himself, rationalizing it with his royal status. Permissibly, he would feel an undeniable attraction to someone, and as soon as he had bed them, he was satisfied with them and cast them aside. Or perhaps it was they hadn't satisfied him and he cast them aside because he had been disappointed. He was sure that it would be either possibility with this azure eyed, feral beast in his grasp- it always was.

First, though, he needed to obtain Naruto's trust.

Naruto was brought to his bed chambers after his cleaning and the attendant, before allowing the prince to see, warned, "My lord, we have made a discovery of a bruise upon his face."

Ah, yes. That's right. He'd forgotten about that bruise on his cheek. He brushed it off softly, remembering it did not look so bad when he had seen him in the marketplace.

"Send him in," replied he.

And what he saw shocked him greatly. The bruise was decidedly bigger than he had initially thought. Darkest was the center, and steadily receded as it fanned out all the way to his jaw. He moved as fluid ice to his pet and touched the bruise, earning a flinch. He gripped his chin gently, then gently shoved his face away.

"Take him to the herb specialist and get that treated immediately. I cannot bear to look upon his face with that disgusting mark." The words stung Naruto so deeply, his face visibly fell, in turn making Sasuke's chest ache.

"Yes, my Lord," and he was taken away. "Do not fret, young one. The master has been extremely grumpy lately. He and his brother have been fighting as of late."

"Over what?" The servant stared at him in wonder. The first sound that had come from Naruto's mouth and it was indeed music to her ears.

"Mostly because Lord Itachi is pressing a wife upon the young master. No one really knows why, considering Lord Itachi will be the king, not Sasuke. Some are beginning to think that he is repulsed by women and will not touch them or let him into his bed, but I think otherwise. There's hardly a night I don't hear noise in his room if you get my drift." He was rewarded with a blush. The servant continued, "Word has it Itachi might be hiding something, or planning something, I should say. No one knows what it could be as of yet, but he's calling in a new advisor as well- highly suspicious. Oh pardon me, I must be scaring you out of your wits. The name's Ino."

"N-nice to meet you." Naruto said softly, but did not gaze upon her face, still hurt by the words he'd received, even if he didn't understand why.

"Cheer up. You'll like it around here as long as you don't upset anybody. They treat us very nicely." A pause. "Just one thing, Naruto- don't fall for Sasuke. All you'll get is heartbreak."

With this, he looked up at her in confusion, but sighed softly. He wouldn't fall for someone like that.

He felt a little better, actually, now that he thought about it. Talking to this girl was nice, and he felt more at home the way she spoke to him. She was kind of a typical girl- relaying gossip and making her own conclusions about everything, but he liked that about her. She was his tie to reality at this point.

"How long have you been working here?" He asked, not sure if he should get so personal.

"All of my life, but I love it here. My mother hated it, but I don't mind it much." She smiled at him.

Her smile was beautiful, as was everything else about her. Her platinum blonde hair was tied up, but even then it cascaded down to almost her lower back. Long hair was so fascinatingly eye worthy. Her clothes were generic- a tunic and leggings and leather shoes, but she still made them look good, he had to admit.

Finally, he gave just a hint of a smile back, and this seemed to fill her with such joy she hugged him. He had to laugh softly at her joyous squeezes of affection.

"Alright! We're here."

Leading him through the door, Ino brought him to the herb specialist and quietly recited her orders to old man, who smiled kindly and nodded softly to her words. Once finished, Ino left, making Naruto feel extremely vulnerable and tense.

"Come here- give me a look at that old bruise on your face, eh?" cooed the old man, just serving to make Naruto even more uncomfortable. He swallowed hard, but did as he was told and stooped beside him.

The room smelled of earth and plants and tea. He kind of liked the smell, he noted, looking around some and tilting his head gently when asked. The room also reminded him slightly of a brothel with its dark, burgundy red and deep forest green curtains and drapes and rugs. It was comfortable-it was like his old village... Calmed him it did, so much that he did not feel the soft rag at his sore cheek covered in herb stuffs, and yet tense it made him also as he remembered exactly why he was no longer in that village.

Nine Tailed Fox...

His eyes snapped open and he looked at the old man. "What..?"

He blinked as he was placing the rag in some cleaning water and smiled. "I said, 'I'm all done.'"

Naruto nodded slowly and rose.

"Wait, wait, wait, I did not say I was finished." Confused, Naruto looked back at him and sat down again, earning a laugh from the old herb man. "There is something strange about you," said the old man- so suddenly that Naruto shot his gaze to him immediately. The smile was gone from the old mans face, and an air of seriousness now surround him, filled the room.

All Naruto could hear was his heart beating, slowly, but so loud he thought even the old man could hear. "What... do you mean?" He managed to choke out.

"Your bruise...You are not a normal child."

Faster beat his heart.

"How long have you had this bruise? A day? Yet already you have shown remarkable healing of a week. I assume the bruise covered the entire left side of your cheek, from your jaw, nearly to your nose, and yet all that is left, although still quite large, is the middle to your jaw, and even then it is not as dark as a fresh bruise..."

Naruto could feel his chest rising and falling quicker, panic flooding through him, his eyes getting wide, pupils dilating with fear.

"...and since you've come in, the size of the bruise has reduced so. It no longer spreads to your jaw. It is slowly becoming a faint purple and green mark upon your face the size of a small child's hand. Adding herbs to your face only served to, indeed, speed up the process. How is this possible, young Naruto?"

He was panting hard now, looking around the room, keeping his eyes distracted and on anything but the doctor. He swallowed against the lump in his throat, hands clenching on his baggy pants hard, as if to rib the small threads from their nicely stitched graces.

"Naruto?"

His eyes slipped to the doctor, but that was a fatal mistake. The doctor reached for him and he leapt to his feet, knocking over a basin full of water with a crash, the sound only serving to distract and make him more frightened. He was a trapped animal in this cage of a room and if he was cornered, he knew what would happen... he had to get out of there!

"Calm down, young one," the doctor said, but there was something in his tone that told Naruto he knew...

Back stepping, a trembling hand shot out to look for the door behind him, his eyes locked on the doctor, and the doctor gazed back with a knowing smile (and not a kind one). His vision began to spot, black dots racing across his eyes and his throat so dry he could no longer speak.

"You're going to..." but that was all he heard as he fainted, his legs finally giving out without the proper amount of oxygen to support them, vision going blank and he barely felt himself hitting the rub beneath him, knees first and then his upper body.

The doctor had to sigh and gently moved to the door, calling to the guards to send a word to Sasuke. They complied, and left, but not before moving Naruto to a small sick bed in the herb man's room.

Everyone had secrets. Some are deep and mysterious; others are simple and not such a big deal, but the biggest secrets are those that affect others without one even realizing it, or perhaps one _does_ realize it, and that is why it is secret. Everyone has secrets- nobles, peasants, farmers, assassins, slaves- everyone. If one runs from it, it will only cause more pain, and no one can honestly hide a secret forever. Someone eventually finds out...

"Oh, you have the darkest secret of us all, don't you, Naruto?"

~8~

Scythe: Sooooo.... what'd you think? Fantastic? I thought it was. IF you didn't, humor me anyways... I think this is going to develop into a nice little ficcy and I'm excited you all care to join in on the fun. Thank you... Oh man, I learned I have this 14 year old fan x.x and I'm like: you're reading MY fics? They get pretty bad later.. I felt like I was robbing the cradle or something, but then I realized I was corrupted and reading these when I was ten... how effed up is that? *scratches head* Anyways, review XD and thanks!


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